Broadcasting Board of Governors’ Call to Open Airwaves in Iran

June 15, 2009

The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) calls on authorities in Iran to open the airwaves and respect the right of its people to freedom of information and opinion.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees, “the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

Iranian authorities are choking off reliable news and information from the people in Iran. Interference with satellite television, shortwave radio, mobile devices and Internet programs of international broadcasters including the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Radio Farda persists. Further obstacles to a free press include the harassment and arrest of journalists on the scene.

U.S. international broadcasting, as well as others reporting in Persian, are again playing a crucial role in getting the important story of events to the people of Iran. By tapping into sources on the ground, our journalists get eye-witness accounts of news the Iranian regime wants to suppress.

At the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the umbrella organization for U.S. government-funded civilian international broadcasting, the importance of providing free and accurate information to people starved for reliable news is paramount.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent federal agency which supervises all U.S. government-supported, civilian international broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA); Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL); the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa); Radio Free Asia (RFA); and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Marti). Through its broadcast services, the BBG provides the United States and its leaders direct and immediate access to a worldwide audience of 155 million people.

For more information, call the Office of Public Affairs at (202) 203-4400, or e-mail publicaffairs@bbg.gov.